What Happens When You Drive a 5th Gen Ram 50,000 Miles Every Year?
The 5th gen Ram 1500 has been out since 2019, and some drivers have been racking up the miles. Justin Wheeler is a diesel technician who drives all over the U.S. with a truck full of tools for work. He bought a Ram 1500 Limited in 2019 and has put more than 190,000 miles on the truck. Luckily for us, he has also documented exactly how reliable his 5th gen Ram pickup truck has proven to be.
Are 5th gen Ram trucks reliable?
Drivers of high mileage 5th gen Ram 1500s report that once over 100,000 miles, these trucks can suffer various annoying issues. But the upside is that the drivetrain of these pickups often proves reliable to 200,000 miles or beyond.
Wheeler has many complaints about his 190k Ram 1500. One major problem is a stretched 4wd transfer case chain which causes a loud “clunk” every time he shifts out of reverse–but is still fully operational. He has also experienced many windshield chips and a crack, and suspects that the glass is not the best quality. He reports that his automatic tailgate often does not operate automatically.
That said, none of these complaints are serious reliability issues. And on his YouTube channel, Wheeler admits that his 190,000 miles of wear and tear is equivalent to ten years of regular driving. Some issues are to be expected.
Is the Ram 5.7-liter V8 reliable?
The commonly reported engine-related Ram 1500 issues are coolant leaks and cracked exhaust manifolds. If these are dealt with in a timely fashion, the rest of the engine often proves exceptionally reliable.
In fact, when Wheeler completed his 160,000 mile oil change, he sent his waste oil to two separate labs for analysis. The unanimous results were that the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 “Had a perfect score.”
Wheeler’s eight-speed ZF automatic transmission has been even less fussy. Despite often towing 6,000-8,000 pound trailers, Wheeler hasn’t experienced a single transmission issue. He hasn’t even swapped out the automatic transmission fluid yet.
How often do you need to service the 5th gen Ram?
During normal driver, a Ram 1500 will prompt you to get an oil change on intervals ranging from 8,000-10,000 miles. In addition, you should have your tires rotated and complete any services recommended by Ram.
Our Motorbiscuit chart of Ram 1500 service intervals is one of the more comprehensive, and conservative, around. That’s because we combined the official Ram recommendations (via Junek’s Ram dealership) and additional suggestions from CarEdge.com. See the full chart below:
| Mileage | Service |
| 8k | Oil change, tire rotation |
| 16k | Oil change, tire rotation |
| 20k | Inspect brake pads, tie rods, and all front suspension components |
| 24k | Oil change, tire rotation |
| 30k | Inspect brakes, front suspension components, CV joints, transfer case fluid, and the condition of the transfer case and axle |
| 32k | Oil change, tire rotation, air filter replacement, spark plug replacement |
| 40k | Oil change, tire rotation |
| 48k | Oil change, tire rotation, spark plug replacement |
| 56k | Oil change, tire rotation |
| 60k | Inspect brakes and suspension components. Check and/or replace: transmission fluid, engine coolant, transfer case fluid, and brake fluid. Inspect all filters. |
| 64k | Oil change, tire rotation, air filter replacement, spark plug/wires replacement |
| 72k | Oil change, tire rotation |
| 80k | Oil change, tire rotation, cooling system flush |
| 88k | Oil change, tire rotation |
| 96k | Oil change, tire rotation, air filter replacement, spark plug/wires replacement |
| 100k | Inspect brakes and suspension components and CV joints. Check and/or replace: transmission fluid, engine coolant, transfer case fluid, and brake fluid. Inspect all filters. |
| 104k | Oil change, tire rotation, cooling system flush |
| 112k | Oil change, tire rotation |
| 120k | Oil change, tire rotation, serpentine/drive belt replacement, transmission fluid service, transfer case fluid service Inspect brakes and suspension components. Check and/or replace engine coolant and brake fluid |
| 128k | Oil change, tire rotation, air filter replacement, spark plug/wires replacement |
| 136k | Oil change, tire rotation |
| 144k | Oil change, tire rotation, spark plug replacement, cabin air filter replacement |
Next, read about the legendary 1.5 million mile Toyota Tacoma, or see Justin Wheeler answer frequently asked questions about his high mileage Ram in the video below:
